I really enjoy this gig spot and find the tourists, locals, the street vendors and cops to be really supportive of my performances. Robert the Naked Cowboy came over to introduce himself and bought a disk (wondered where he was going to put it...). I've had a great time and do hope Times SQ Alliance gets a chance to continue this series (there’s talk that it won’t survive). Met Rachelle and Kathie from CA with the best color purple nails. They bought a CD and came back later and tipped me with the same color polish! That beats the 2 cans of Ensure or the bag of potato chips I’ve gotten in the past! A karate kid from Tennessee in his outfit and black belt, walked by, he had just finished being on an NBC show, the segment will be aired in a few weeks. He’s the youngest black belt. Soooooo cute and when I asked him what his friends say about it, he was cool and was coy. I also asked what was the best thing he’s learned about being a martial artist and he said the control. Smart kid. It took him 5 years to get the belt. I hope his folks send me the pictures they took too.

Taking the train to NYC tomorrow to perform in Times Square. I had planned on being away from the hot sticky, and smelly city, in exchange for the country air 2 hours north of Manhattan. Back in Spring I auditioned for the Times Square Alliance and they now have the permits necessary to let an amplified performer like me play. Apparently the city afraid of the “noise” doesn’t want performers amplified, but as a more acoustic type performer, even I can’t sing and play 3 hours un-amplified without losing my voice, or breaking picks and strings.

My first gig with Music Under New York in 1999, I had a quite romantic view of busking and did perform purely acoustically. That was in the lower level of Grand Central Station, and the one and only time I ever performed without a small portable amp.

I do hope that the city can come to some sort of agreement regarding the amplified issue. At this point the Naked Cowboy gets the work-he only needs to be seen not heard!

It will be interesting performing above ground. Now that the city has closed off the portion of Broadway to vehicular traffic, it should be interesting to be in the midst of summertime pedestrian chaos (also matinee day), and part of the ongoing experiment that is now a Times Square strolling park. In a strange way my perception today is that I feel safer and more insulated in the underground. After tomorrow that perception might be different.